Grateful Americans, express gratitude

RICHARD B. MYERS, GUEST COLUMNIST

Published 10:00 pm, Thursday, November 9, 2006

The call to serve and protect our nation's liberty has echoed through the centuries and Americans have always answered. True heroes stood on Bunker Hill, mounted offensives at Catigny, stormed the beaches at Normandy and Omaha, advanced on Iwo Jima and flew or sailed to meet our nation's enemies.

True heroes protected the greater cause, those they loved at home and those they did not know abroad. True heroes have emerged each and every time ordinary American citizens have undertaken extraordinary tasks to defend a grateful nation.

Joining the Armed Forces in 1965, I had no idea that my initial five years would become a career of national service spanning five decades. The integrity, loyalty and selflessness in those with whom I served compelled me to continue serving year after year. My comrades-in-arms came from every walk of life, but they all shared the same commitment to a greater cause and service to others that are and always have been the fundamental aspects of military service.

Our proud veterans embody these values and stand as a shining example for generations of Americans to come. There is nothing they would not give, and have not given, to protect the people of this great country. For their unparalleled commitment and their unwavering devotion, we recognize all who served or are serving this Veterans Day. Their service to freedom continues to shape our nation and the world. We also recognize the families of our veterans who share in the pride and sacrifices of our veterans.

The sacrifices of our veterans and their families must never be forgotten. Their selflessness created a better world for those of us who followed. That is true today as once again, our armed forces are engaged in a global struggle against extremist forces. We know we will again succeed because of the courage and commitment of our military men and women.

Although we can never adequately compensate our veterans and their families for all they have done and continue to do, we can honor and respect them for their service. This Veterans Day, prayer services, rallies, assembly programs, parades and patriotic speeches will be held throughout the country. Those observances are valuable demonstrations of the true respect and gratitude we as individuals and as a country hold for the men and women of our Armed Forces and their families.

But this one day alone is not enough to honor and commemorate their service. American men and women stationed in more than 170 countries around the world make sacrifices to fulfill their call to service every day, as do their families at home. Their service should also be recognized every day as they fight to protect our freedom and our future.

To help achieve this goal, the Department of Defense organized a program to help Americans at home show their support for our troops all year long by connecting them with efforts already happening in their own communities. America Supports You allows individuals, companies and civic organizations to express their appreciation to the troops, our veterans and all military families through letter-writing campaigns, volunteer efforts and support for the wounded when they return home, to name only a few.

One such organization, Our Military Kids, provides grants to the children of deployed or severely injured Reserve and National Guard personnel to cover the costs of the child's extracurricular activities such as sports, camps and music lessons. Operation Homefront, another group focused on the families of deployed service members, provides a variety of support services including home repairs, car repairs, emergency financial assistance, computer donation and holiday programs.

The America Supports You Web site (AmericaSupportsYou.mil) is an invaluable resource that provides ideas and information about these efforts as well as links to more than 225 other grass-roots groups working for our troops and their families. Those groups offer numerous ways all of us can give back to the men and women who give so much for us.

I join the nation in thanking our veterans and their families for the proud service that has sustained our nation for generations and made our way of life possible. I also extend my gratitude and appreciation to the new generation of Americans taking up the tradition of selfless service and sacrifice for our nation today.

Most important, I encourage all of us to find ways to continue this expression -- a letter, a care package or just a handshake and a word of thanks on the street -- to show support for our troops, past and present, and their families every day.